RESULTS Campaigns Weekly Update March 3, 2020
Quote of the Week
“Viruses don’t discriminate, but people and policies too often do.”
– RESULTS Executive Director Joanne Carter in “Responding to coronavirus with science and solidarity”
Table of Contents
- Global Poverty Campaigns Update
- U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
- RESULTS Announcements
- Upcoming Events
- Grassroots Resources
Global Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Congress must invest in global health and education
Got Five Minutes? Make sure you have the Saturday RESULTS United Webinar in your calendar
Join the RESULTS United Webinar this Saturday, March 7 at 1:00 pm ET. During the global poverty policy section, we’ll hear from USAID’s first-ever Chief Nutritionist Shawn Baker, as we continue work on our critical nutrition advocacy. 2020 will shape up to be a key nutrition advocacy year for us, and it will be helpful to hear Mr. Baker’s fresh, frontline take on this critical action area. Bring your questions and your enthusiasm. We’ll also spend time in the grassroots advocacy section of the call making plans to utilize our April National Webinar with Nicholas Kristof for maximum organizing impact.
TAKE ACTION: Take five minutes and make note to join the RESULTS United Webinar this Saturday, March 7 at 1:00 pm ET. It will be a highlight of your day. And invite others! Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/994444828 or dial in by phone at (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 994 444 828. Remember, our new webinar format is as follows: 1:00-1:30 pm ET: U.S. Poverty policy; 1:30-2:00 pm ET: Grassroots Advocacy; 2:00-2:30 pm ET: Global Poverty policy. Note: In light of coronavirus concerns, please seek guidance from your local public health officials on whether to meet as a group for this month’s webinar. Unlike the past, there is no extra cost to RESULTS if you choose to dial in individually.
Got Fifteen Minutes? Make your FY21 appropriations and sign-on letter requests
We are on a tight deadline. All House members must have their appropriations requests to the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee by March 13 and all Senate members must have their requests in by April 24. Moreover, many sign-on letters close in the next several days. This means Congress needs to hear from you now.
Use our January Action Sheet to ask your members of Congress to protect and expand global health and education programs through the appropriations process. If you need additional details, here are the relevant memos/backgrounders. Four House appropriations sign-on letters and one Senate sign-on letter, focused on our global health and education priorities, are now available for signatures. Include these sign-on letters with your appropriations requests. A sign-on letter (also called a “Dear Colleague” letter) is like a petition in Congress. These letters provide additional support for our appropriations requests.
TAKE ACTION: Take fifteen minutes to acquaint yourself with our FY21 appropriations and sign-on requests and submit them. Check out our comprehensive info page (including appropriations deadlines, sign-on letter details, and more).
QUICK NEWS ON GLOBAL POVERTY
Request a Meeting with Your Legislators in March. Have you called the schedulers for your representative and senators and asked for face-to-face meetings to discuss our appropriations requests for FY21? Use our February laser talk on requesting meetings. Once you secure a meeting, use our appropriations memos/backgrounders and the January action sheet to help you prepare. Meeting your members of Congress in person is an incredibly powerful way to use your advocacy voice. You are personalizing your requests and showing your passion for the issues. Legislators will take note, and new advocates you bring along will experience how effective advocacy can be. As you book, use our new meeting request letter or our laser talk to make the process easier.
Learn About Appropriations and Help Others Engage. To have even greater influence on appropriations, engage your fellow advocates in writing letters to your members of Congress. Even a few letters to your members of Congress will have influence. Use our February Action Sheet to inspire others to write.
U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Tell Congress to help low-income renters
Got Sixty to Ninety Minutes? Join National Webinar to talk housing with Sarah Saadian
RESULTS is excited to welcome Sarah Saadian, Vice President of Public Policy at the National Low-Income Housing Coalition (www.nlihc.org) to the RESULTS United National Webinar this weekend. Sarah will talk with us about the current politics on housing in Washington and how we as advocates can move a bold and robust housing agenda forward in 2020 and beyond. We’ll also provide you tools to use the April National Webinar with Nicholas Kristof and lobby meetings this spring to inspire new advocates into action. This should be a great webinar; please join us.
TAKE ACTION: Take sixty to ninety minutes to join the RESULTS United Webinar this Saturday, March 7 at 1:00 pm ET. Join online at https://results.zoom.us/j/994444828 or dial in by phone at (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 994 444 828. Remember, our new webinar format is as follows: 1:00-1:30 pm ET: U.S. Poverty policy with Sarah Saadian; 1:30-2:00 pm ET: Grassroots Advocacy; 2:00-2:30 pm ET: Global Poverty policy with Shawn Baker. In light of coronavirus concerns, please seek guidance from your local public health officials on whether to meet as a group for this month’s webinar. Unlike the past, there is no extra cost to RESULTS if you choose to dial in individually.
Got Fifteen Minutes? Plan for meetings in March and April
Last week, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, otherwise known as Freddie Mac, stated that there is a shortage of 3.3 million homes in the U.S. and it’s growing. This is why RESULTS signed onto a national organizational letter urging the House to include funding for new home construction in its new infrastructure package. It’s also evidence why Congress cannot sit back and wait to act. Solving America’s housing crisis will take a holistic strategy that includes, among other things, more funding to build affordable housing and a renters’ tax credit to help families find housing now.
TAKE ACTION: Take fifteen minutes to set up lobby meetings to talk housing during the March and April congressional recesses (March 16-20 and April 6-17). Use the February Action to plan your meetings and to write letters on the renters’ credit while you wait for your meeting date. We have a meeting request laser talk, updated housing laser talks and an updated affordable housing policy request sheet to take to your meetings. Once you get a meeting scheduled, please contact Meredith Dodson for coaching. If you’ve had a recent lobby meeting, please complete a lobby report (www.tinyurl.com/RESLRF) to let us know what happened.
QUICK NEWS ON U.S. POVERTY
Ben Carson testifying on FY21 budget. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Carson testified today before the House Appropriations Subcommittees for Transportation, House, and Urban Development (T-HUD) about the Trump Administration’s FY21 budget request for HUD. As noted last month, the Administration’s budget includes deep cuts to housing programs, which could cause 160,000 households to lose housing assistance.
RESULTS Announcements
Join training call next week on engaging new advocates. On April 4, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof will speak on our RESULTS National Webinar. His appearance is a great opportunity to invite new advocates to join your local RESULTS groups. We want to help you maximize it. Join RESULTS next Tuesday, March 10 at 8:30 pm ET for training on how to use the April webinar to gather people and move them into more engaged forms of advocacy. To join the webinar training, login at: https://results.zoom.us/j/201739470 or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID: 201 739 470.
Help is available to attend the RESULTS Conference. This year’s RESULTS International Conference (June 20-23 in Washington, DC) promises to be like none other, with a big 40th year celebration of RESULTS. Will you be there to celebrate with us? Secure your spot by registering today. In addition, we know some of us need a little help getting there. If you are an active RESULTS volunteer based in the U.S. and need help “filling the gaps” in resources to attend the Conference, apply for assistance from our Gap Fund. The fund is limited so please apply early and only apply for what you need (we cannot cover all your expenses to attend the Conference).
Join action network webinar tomorrow night. If you are looking to better activate and support members of your local action network (online activists) and help move them up the Ladder of Engagement, please join us for our monthly RESULTS Action Network Community of Practice webinar. The call is tomorrow, March 4 at 8:30 pm ET. To join, log in: https://results.zoom.us/j/427674133 or dial in: 669-900-6833, meeting ID: 427 674 133.
Join follow-up discussion on White Fragility. Attendees to the White Fragility webinar last month had such a meaningful discussion, they’ve decided to continue it this month. On this next webinar, they’ll look at how their views of racism have changed since reading the book and explore next steps in their effort to recognize and dismantle systemic oppression. The webinar is Wednesday, March 18 at 9:00 pm ET. To join, log in at: https://results.zoom.us/j/807783478 or dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 807 783 478.
Apply for the RESULTS Fellowship. If you or someone you know is 20-30 years old and is looking for marketable advocacy skills, a top-notch policy education, and the opportunity to lead, apply for the RESULTS Fellowship (formerly named the REAL Change Fellowship). We are taking applications for the 2020-21 class through April 30. Find more info on the RESULTS website and apply today.
Upcoming Events
Congressional recesses. Both the House and Senate are on recess March 16-20 and April 6-17. Submit your meeting requests today.
Wednesday, March 4: RESULTS Action Network Community of Practice Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. To join, log in to https://results.zoom.us/j/427674133 or dial in to 669-900-6833, meeting ID: 427 674 133. You can also join our Facebook and e-mail groups.
Saturday, March 7: RESULTS United National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/994444828. You can also join by phone at (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 994 444 828
Tuesday, March 10: New Advocate Orientation, 12:00 pm ET. Sign up here.
Tuesday, March 10: Take Advocates to the Next Level training webinar, 8:30 pm ET. To join the training, login at: https://results.zoom.us/j/201739470 or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID: 201 739 470.
Tuesday, March 10: Book Discussion: The Righteous Mind, 9:00 pm ET. Join vi Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/655036085?pwd=RVdzbTdQSDVnWlJzTTVsMVo5dXFtQT09, or dial (669) 900-6833 US or (646) 876-9923, Meeting ID: 655 036, Password: 641539.
Monday, March 16: Global Free Agents Webinars, 1:00 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET. Join a great conversation via https://results.zoom.us/j/285681999 or, by phone, dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 285 681 999.
Tuesday, March 17: U.S. Poverty Free Agents Webinars, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/324294681 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID: 324 294 681.
Wednesday, March 18: Continued book discussion on White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, 9 pm ET. To join, log in at: https://results.zoom.us/j/807783478 or dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 807 783 478.
Saturday, April 4: RESULTS Unified Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Guest speaker: Nicholas Kristof. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/994444828. You can also join by phone at (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 994 444 828.
June 20-23, 2020: RESULTS International Conference. Capital Hilton, Washington, DC. Register today! The Early Bird registration deadline is April 20.
Grassroots Resources
Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.
Do you have a new person in your RESULTS group or info to update? Use our Volunteer Information Form to add them.
Find actions and volunteer resources on our Current Volunteers page.
Please let us know about your recent grassroots successes for lobby meetings, media, and outreach.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Steven McGee at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.
RESULTS Staff directory.